Silence
by hellobabybunnies
Summary: A terrible accident occurs when Cloud is not at home. With Tifa in the hospital with a coma, can Cloud deal with the two children left behind? Will Cloud find the perpetrators?


I'm back! After a ___ year hiatus :D

As usual, this is a CloTi fanfic. Instead of my usual happy, lovey dovey stories, I'm trying my hand at a more depressing, angsty type of story. Beware, if I do run out of ideas, I might stop writing, so please leave reviews with ideas and/or **constructive criticism**! :) Thanks and enjoy!

**Summary :**

A terrible accident occurs when Cloud is not at home. With Tifa in the hospital with a coma, can Cloud deal with the two children left behind? Will Cloud find the perpetrators?

* * *

The lights were off.

Cloud stepped into the bar, suspicious. Usually Tifa stayed up for him, no matter how late he came home. Something didn't smell right. He took another step, and his foot came in contact with a bar stool. Frowning, he set it upright. Tifa _never_ left the bar stools down when she closed the bar.

This was the first time he'd ever come home to a silent, dark house. He flicked the light switch and his heart stopped at the sight.

Blood was splattered against the usually impeccably clean counters. The tables were overturned and the ground was sticky with alcohol and spilled food. There were a few dead customers with their And Tifa, his strong Tifa, was slumped against a wall, her eyes closed and blood dripping down her porcelain face.

This was the second time he'd ever found her unconscious. He dropped to her side and took her pulse. It was barely there. Two silent tears slid down his face. He had let her down **again**. She was hurt** again**, and he wasn't there. **Again**.

A sniffle broke his attention away from Tifa. In the corner, there huddled two shapes.

"Denzel? Marlene?" he called out.

The two shapes ran towards him, and he opened his arms to receive a sobbing Marlene and a pale Denzel.

"Cloud!" sobbed Marlene. "We were so scared … "

Cloud looked to Denzel for an explanation.

"We were just helpin' Tifa out, in the bar. And suddenly these men come in, they all dressed in white. They throw Tifa against the wall and Tifa just screamed at us to hide. The customers all got so scared and they all left except for a few, who tried to help Tifa, but those men … they just killed 'em! Killed 'em all! And I heard Tifa screaming, but I had to stay back and comfort Marlene … " Denzel looked like he was about to cry.

Wordlessly, he took them up the stairs to their bed. He said a silent prayer over them, and went back downstairs to tend to Tifa.

"Tifa? Tifa, wake up … the kids need you … I need you …." He lowered his head to her still body and wept until he fell asleep, tears still streaming down his face.

* * *

He was awakened the next morning by the sound of sirens. Looking out the window, he saw an ambulance turning into the street. Who called for the ambulance? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Vincent leaning against the wall. Cloud gave a nod of thanks and stepped aside to allow the paramedics to tend to Tifa.

* * *

"She's in a _what_?"

"Please lower your voice, Mr. Strife. This is a hospital and –"

"I don't care! A coma? Is she going to be alright? How serious is the damage?"

"Mr. Strife, please. She's in a coma. If she doesn't wake up in the next two weeks, she may become a vegetable. She may have some brain damage, but her condition currently is too dangerous for us to determine that. She can hear what we are saying, but she can't respond."

Cloud kicked the uncomfortable, plastic chair he'd been sitting in previously angrily. How could he have let this happen? It was all because he'd left on that extra delivery; he had insisted on taking the trip because he could have a slight detour to Aerith's church. It was all his fault.

_I'm sorry, Tifa …_

At that moment, Barrett and the kids rushed into the hospital. The kids crowded around Cloud, asking questions, while Barrett stood behind Marlene and looked at Cloud, waiting for news of Tifa's condition.

"Well, Spikey? How is she?"

When Cloud didn't answer, but kept his head down, Barrett knew that something very, very bad had happened. His eyes brimmed with tears and one lone tear slid down his cheek and onto Marlene's head.

"Daddy, don't cry!" Marlene tried to comfort him. "Tifa's okay! Right, Cloud?"

Cloud looked at her with dead, tired eyes, and she too began to cry.

"Cloud, tell Daddy that Tifa's okay … nothing's wrong … Cloud, tell Daddy that Tifa's going to be home soon …" Marlene cried. Barrett enveloped her in a bear hug, and she clung to him, crying. Denzel just stood there, staring off into the distance. Tifa was the only mother he'd ever had. Was he going to lose her?

* * *

Short chapter, I know. But I was never any good at writing long stories anyways; I'll try to make the next chapter longer :)

I'm currently doing an art collage of Tiffany (SNSD), so most of my time is spent on that. It's the final project for art and I'm determined to make it look good for the art show :)


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